The Somerset reporter., 1887-07-06
TIE PARK AFTER DARK.
INTERESTING NIGHT SCENES AT
CENTRAL PARK MENAGERlE.

Hunting for Tramp Dogs and Stray Cats.
Capital Place for Meditation-Dead
Mans Landing The Late STAYING
Lovers.
Keeper Tom Donohue every night salles
forth in Central park with his shotgun on
hunt for tramp dogs and stray cats.
The dogs come in to kill the rabbits,
guineas and peafowl The sheep nre all
penned during the night Cats 20 Ito tho
park TO get squirrels and birds. There
used TO be good fishing in the lake, but it
hasn't been allowed for years
Night at the inenagcrics is perhaps more
interesting than elsewhere in the park.
Somehow iron bars and cages do not look
nearly so strong at night as they do in
broad daylight, and sense Of possible
danger adds considerable interest 10 a
midnight visit As n rule the brutCs sleep
pretty soundly, but there IRE exceptions.
The sea lions, Of which there are six in
the ponds, keep up their diseordnnt bark
ing until after II O'Clock, and begin it
again ut daylight. Every nov and then
one of the eagles will give . shrill, piercing
Shrek, which makes the chance passer
start with sudden terror, and highly in
censes the residents Of near by houses on
Fifth avenue. The coyotes, or Prairie
wolves, have happy fashion Of howling
in their blood curdling way Mt every noise,
and now and then the jaekals and lions
join in the chorus. When the lion takes
n notion TO give good old fashioned roar,
every animal, great and small. in the me
nagerie lifts up its voice and sleep in the
neighborhood for the next ten minutes is
.,.nV -
the chimpanzeo lie slumbers swcctly all
night long, no matter how much Of n
racket the other animals are Inducing in
He had until n short time ago a Little cot
to sleep on, but he broke tie bottom out
Of it, and now he curls up on the floor of
his big cage on the barracks -
THE ANIMALS GET OUT.
Some of the animals get out once in a
while, and then all hands turn out for
hunt The tapir climbed over his fence
one night not very long ago and led the
keepers Il lively chase before he was re-
captured. lie swan across the lake and
it was fully two hours before he was put
in n safe place again. The buffalocs have
got away more than once, and they arc
apt to show fight before they will submit
to being driven back to their pens. The
lions and tigers lie on their backs with
their feet up in the air when they sleep,
and the bears who in the day time are
mortal enemies, huddle together Is closely
rs possible Hs soon as night comes ON. Tho
owls, although they are popularity sup
posed to stay awake all night, don't do
anything Of tho kind at the mcnagerie.
They Wake up occasionally, but even then
they do not hoot They only snap their
bcals la4ily once or twice end turn over
for another nap.
There isn't usually much lcs, in Central
park at night 1t is never wildly exciting
except perhaps 10 men of furerstitious
tendencies and veal; nerves 1t is very
peaceful and quiet, and capital place for
reelection. Through the black branches
Of surrounding trees one can see the
thousands of lights Elittering in the tall
fiat houses far and near. some are SO
high above the ground that they would be
easily mistaken for stars. Down by the
lake ii is very dark and still and solemn
at night. The | lack water laps lazily on
the shores and whisper queer secrets to
the listening hus4e4. over Oh the west
shore. where tie lt,lc Summer house is
dimly seca in t.c STARLIGHT, is Bead Mans
lnndin9. Many Il tie hasit had lying
ON its rough boards all that remained Of
some poor, weary, disheartened wretch,
who, taking chances on the hereafter, had
slipped over SO quietly into the kindly
waters To add one more item to the record
Of the found drowned
Till LATE STAYING LOVERS.
The latest stayers in the park are the
lovers. They sit close together on the
benches md whisper the old story over
and over again until gray coated, brass
buttoned disturber larpcns along and
says in his cruel, official tones; Times
up; all persons must 80 outside. It's
after o O'Clock" Think of it, Only
O'clock and they could sit there until
Il. IN. and never weary for one instant.
"Wcll, SIR said n sparrow policeman,
them lovers is study. I've done some
courin' in my day us well rs any one,
but, Lord never had it us bad as them
MS comes in here Why, do you know,
I've seen 'em that far gone that theyd
come here when the snow lay three or
four inches deep in the ground, clear off
Just space enough for two ON n bench, and
sit there u talkin' an spoouin' for hours,
with the snow piled up ON each side of
them, Fact, sir, an they begged to DO
allowed To sit awhile longer when ! told
'em it WAS time TO be movin' out. There's
more of EN- in the summer, of course, but
the winter ones is the most lovn'."
There used to be Il mysterious, noncom-
INITIAL woman who, every summer morn
ing as the clock WIS striking 4, would APP
pear on the ramble, and, walking swiftly
over to where the peacocks had been strut
ting the day before, search the ground for
feathers. When she found one, which
was not oftcn-for the children kept n
keen lookout for them-she would stick it
in her hair and appear highly delighted at
the effect, which she noted in n little bit
of broken looking glass. They say she
was never known to make but one re-
mark, but that WAS often repeated. She
would say I'm Almighty fine Bird when
ever she was spoken to. There her COM
municativeness would cease New York